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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

In 2008, I traveled around Pennsylvania to find and view my Goss Family line. I shared that experience in my blog: Pennsylvania Wanderings (see the link on the right side of this blog). I also shared a little of my visit to the Old Goss Cemetery.

I also visited the Luzerne County Historical Society and found a publication on this cemetery titled: "Trescott Cemetery." No date but it compares with the three publications found below. There was a description of where the cemetery was located:

"Located along the Highway at Harveyville, Pa. Abandoned Cemetery. Site is overgrow with trees and bushes."

The NE Pennsylvania Genealogical society had a reading of this cemetery on page 17 of their book dated Spring 1995. Cemetery Inscriptions - Old Goss Cemetery, Harveyville Knoll, Huntington Twp., Luzerne Co., PA.

A third reading was from the Bulletin of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society for 1940, Vol. 2, No. 1, page 11 - Old Harveyville Cemetery, Luzerne Co., PA. (Now called the Luzerne County Historical Society.)

"This cemetery was about 75 to 100 years ago the main burying ground for this part of the county. When the new road (No. 364) was laid out this old cemetery was left high on a hill. It is accessible only after a steep climb. Very few stones are left and these are broken and mostly fallen down. The place is covered with brambles and small-trees; a sadly neglected "God's Acre." No doubt many bodies or makers were removed to other cemeteries when this one was abandoned."
About a year before I arrived a group of volunteers in the area tried to clean up the cemetery and document the stones. There was an article in the newspaper "Times Leader" dated Sunday, June 24, 2007, were the efforts to save this cemetery were described. It was titled "Volunteers resurrecting a rundown cemetery," by and Edward Lewis.

There was a link to a Yahoo Group on line. Unfortunately the lead person past away and again the cemetery was left to return to nature. So by the time I arrived it was fast disappearing again.

I found several other readings of this cemetery in the files of the Luzerne County Historical Society.

It is not an easy cemetery to get to and that may be why it is not cared for. Although I was told by a person her father did try to keep it in shape. I do hope someone is caring for it.

Here is what I wrote on my on blog and some of my photographs:

A Tour of Huntington and Fairmount Twp., Luzerne Co., Part III

The Old Goss Cemetery (Trescott) below Harveyville

This cemetery is very difficult to find. From the Scott Cemetery continue on the Waterton Road till you get to the turn off for the Huntlock-Harveyville Road. It is a slight right. Take that road till you spot some rather new houses out in the open on your right. When you see them you know you are close. Once again you get back into a tree lined road and the buildings/houses are on the left. Continue along the road till you spot yellow markers. The cemetery is in the flat area between the yellow markers. There is a driveway but that is private property to the south of the area. There is no parking on the street unless you have a truck or 4 wheeled vehicle.

I visited this cemetery twice. The first time we did park in the driveway at the house to the south with permission but the second time I came there was a big black dog. I am sure he was friendly but I did not want to push my luck.

I would like to thank the Goss Cemetery group at Yahoo Groups for cleaning up this cemetery. I was told the leader of that group passed away. It was probably in worse shape last year but nature is trying to reclaim her again. I am grateful to them for taking pictures and posting them at the Goss Cemetery Group. Again you have to join Yahoo Groups to join the Cemetery group.

The first time I came I was not prepared to climb the steep knoll that is there. It also took me awhile to figure out a way to climb the little hill for it was slippery from the rain the night before. See the picture up above for the height from the street to the top. It was also overgrown again an that obscured the way up. I finally plunged in and climbed it. Once there you see the condition. I was not able to go very far. I thought I could walk along the chain link fence but the vegetation was a little to daunting. I did return a couple of days later with gloves a pruner and a stick. However, when I saw the big dog I decided it was not a good idea. I have the names from publications and information at the LCHS and NEPGS and I have the pictures at the Goss Cemetery group.

I did manage to get a couple of pictures of graves and found Titus Seward's. I really could have used my husband's sister regarding any poisonous plants for all I had on was a T-shirt and my arms were bare the first visit. I wanted the stick for balance to climb the hill and look for anything that might be hiding in the bushes.

The cemetery is marked by a wire gate that is sort of just sitting there and there are pieces of a chain link fence lying on the ground as well. I could see that chain link fencing did outline the area.

I declined to get out of my car with the dog there. I did get to stand there on the ground of the cemetery for a little while the first time. I was leaving on Wednesday to continue on my adventure. It is times like these when I wish I didn't live so far way. I would have been up there on the knoll cleaning up.

Grant: Thanks for your comments about You Tube. I actually use it to plan my trips and for visiting cemeteries. I have my own videos there on the cemeteries I visited in Massachusetts years ago. Thanks for helping to document the cemeteries and share that with others who might not be able to visit. Bonnie

Things to Ponder!

The header photo is of the Lee Cemetery in Hardin Co., Ohio southeast of Kenton, Ohio.

As of today 8/12/2016 Google has closed down Picasa for Photos. They moved them to Google Photos and Google Photo Archive. If there are any problem with my photos from this blog give me a holler and I will check it out. When posting in Blogger the photos went into Picasa for safekeeping it doesn't work that way at Wordpress. I did not move BJM Cemeteries to Wordpress so this is why I am concerned. So far so Good. Thanks. Let me know if there is a problem with any of the photos. Thanks.

As a member of Find A Grave I have been adding photos and memorials and getting some transferred to me and trying to spend a couple hours each week adding to the website. Scroll to the bottom of this blog and you will find a link to my contributions on Find A Grave.

Here are my tips:

I find Find A Grave is really good for finding tombstones and memorials for those buried in the USA. Canada is making progress in adding to Find A Grave but you also have to go to other websites in your search. These websites are the Canadian Headstones.com, OCFA - Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid, the Canadian Gen Webs Cemetery project are few places to look. Each province may have a way to locate cemeteries. Hopefully I have identified these websites in my posts but be aware they do change their urls.